Ama_May_June_2024

OCC Olympic Hopefuls

“There are so many talented players that have come out of the Club. As a young player, we were able to see greatness on those courts every day.” — Erik Shoji

“There are so many talented players that have come out of the Club,” says Erik Shoji, who’s in his twelfth year of playing professional volleyball. His brother, Kawika, was also a U.S. men’s volleyball national team member from 2011 to 2021 and is yet another example of an Olympic athlete raised on Outrigger courts. “As a young player, we were able to see greatness on those courts every day,” Shoji adds. Being the sons of Dave Shoji, former head coach of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Rainbow Wahine volleyball team and one of the sport’s winningest coaches of all time, the brothers naturally fell in love with the sport at a young

age while growing up playing at the Club. Shoji and Christenson, along with Micah Ma‘a, were just a few of the Hawai‘i athletes with Outrigger ties who helped the U.S. men’s volleyball national team qualify for the Paris Olympics back in October 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Having played together on the team since 2013, Shoji and Christenson have proudly represent- ed their country and Hawai‘i on the Olympic stage not just once, but twice. With a bronze medal from the 2016 Rio Olympics under their belts, the team has their sights set on gold this time in Paris. Shoji believes the team struggled mentally during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Since then, he has been working with sports psychologists to hone his mental skills and implement those techniques into every match he plays. “For me, my goal is to be as in control as I can be of my emotions. It’s going to be tough, but I’m excited to face that battle and see how I can overcome it,” Shoji shares. “There’s confidence in preparation, and I think our team plans on prepar- ing as hard as we can and as well as we can, and that’s half of the mental battle right there.” Emphasizing the importance of maintaining a calm demeanor as part of the team’s men- tal preparation, Christenson shares that his teammates often say, “Calm breeds calm.” He believes this energy is crucial as he prepares to rejoin the team in Paris for the Olympics. Reflecting on the significance of repre- senting the U.S. at the Olympics, Christenson shares, “Obviously, representing your country is something special, something indescribable.” However, there’s an additional layer of mean- ing. As a Native Hawaiian and a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Christenson feels a deep

Erik Shoji SPORT: Volleyball POSITION: Libero   

18 AMA | MAY / JUNE 2024 18 AMA | maY / june 2024

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